Australia #10548 (v.1)

Prohibition on the import of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs into Australia

Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment (Engineered Stone) Regulations 2024

From 1 January 2025, the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment (Engineered Stone) Regulations 2024 (Amendment Regulations) will come into effect. The Amendment Regulations amend the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 (Prohibited Imports Regulations), to prohibit the import of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs into Australia.
Since 1 July 2024, the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone slabs, panels, and benchtops has been prohibited in all Australian states and territories for work health and safety reasons, under jurisdictional work health and safety laws. Some jurisdictions have had a transition period until 31 December 2024.
To support this, the Australian Government will implement a prohibition on the importation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs, commencing on 1 January 2025. From this date, engineered stone (as defined below) benchtops, panels and slabs, imported without a valid permit or exemption is classed as a prohibited import, meaning it can be seized at the Australian border without a warrant. As most engineered stone products are imported into Australia, the import ban will provide an extra layer of deterrence at the border, further enhancing these important measures to protect Australian workers.
Engineered stone in the Prohibited Import Regulations has the same meaning as in the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) (the WHS Regulations), as set out below.
Prohibited 'engineered stone' will be defined as an artificial product that contains 1% or
more crystalline silica (determined as a weight/weight (w/w) concentration), is created
by combining natural stone materials with other chemical constituents (such as water,
resins or pigments) and becomes hardened.

Engineered stone does not include concrete and cement products, bricks, pavers and
other similar blocks, ceramic wall and floor tiles, grout, mortar and render, plasterboard,
porcelain products, sintered stone and roof tiles.

HS 2022

G/MA/QR/N/AUS/7, G/TBT/N/AUS/170, G/TBT/N/AUS/170/Add.1